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On Sampling, Evidence and Theory: Concluding Remarks on the Distancing Debate

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Abstract

This paper is a summary and discussion of articles contributed to Contemporary Jewry's special issue (vol 30, issues 2/3) on trends in American Jewish attachment to Israel.

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Notes

  1. The AJC has completed two new surveys during the gestation period for this special issue, and the trend for the “close to Israel” question has been upward. In 2009, 69% of respondents reported feeling close to Israel, up 2% from the previous year. In 2010, 74% reported feeling close to Israel. The downward slide noted in our original paper therefore reversed, and the 2010 level is near the 20-year high.

  2. Protestants, Catholics and Jews were identified with a question about religious preference. Two survey years were combined and samples were weighted. The difference between Jews, Protestants and Catholics is statistically significant at the 0.05 level. Analysis by Kadushin.

  3. Sixty-five percent of NJPS respondents were Jewish-by-religion; 12% were of Jewish origin but professed no religion (Perlmann 2009, Table 3). As noted, 36% of the no religion group—or 4% of all respondents—self identified as Jewish “for any reason.” Therefore, self-identifying Jews of no religion comprise 6% of the total Jewish population [4/(65+4)], when the latter is defined to include Jews-by- religion plus individuals of Jewish origin who profess no religion but self-identify as Jewish.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, USA

    Theodore Sasson, Charles Kadushin & Leonard Saxe

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  1. Theodore Sasson
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  2. Charles Kadushin
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  3. Leonard Saxe
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Correspondence to Theodore Sasson.

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Sasson, T., Kadushin, C. & Saxe, L. On Sampling, Evidence and Theory: Concluding Remarks on the Distancing Debate. Cont Jewry 30, 149–153 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12397-010-9040-9

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